A bitter afternoon at Max Allegri's Maradona

There are late summer afternoons when football can be ruthless, capable of shaking up certainties in ninety tense minutes.

Massimiliano Allegri knows this well, forced to deal with the first, bitter setback of his management.
The “Maradona” silently witnessed an unexpected fall, stuck at 1-2 against a brash Como, organised and led with geometric wisdom by Cesc Fàbregas.

The impact of the new direction wasn't enough, nor was Rasmus Højlund's initial roar, which temporarily restored the balance. Over time, the freshness and boldness of Como's players prevailed over a Napoli side still in the process of building up a solid foundation. At times, they appeared fragile and even too light in their defensive reading, a fact the Livorno coach bluntly criticized post-match.

The match heated up from the very first moments.
Como chose not to play the role of extra, imposing pace and ball possession with personality.
The award-winning duo of Nico Paz and Martin Baturina began to sew together the Azzurri's football between the lines, finding the lead through Baturina himself, who was quick to capitalize on a gap created by the home defense in the 17th minute.
Napoli, stung to the quick, attempted to shake things up: the response was courtesy of Højlund, who in the 30th minute beat Butez with a precise shot from the edge of the box, sending the Fuorigrotta stadium into a frenzy and rekindling the hopes of the Neapolitan crowd.

But the 1-1 lasted like the blink of an eye.
A lack of concentration in the build-up from the back—the bane and blessing of every start to the season—gave Como the chance to take the lead again: Tasos Douvikas, predatory and relentless, punished Meret in the 34th minute, sending the visitors to the locker room a goal ahead and with morale sky-high.

In the second half, Allegri attempted to reshuffle the deck by bringing on fresh players from the bench, including Kevin De Bruyne and Leonardo Spinazzola, seeking the quality and pace needed to break down the Como wall. Napoli raised their center of gravity, forcing the Lombardy side into their own half, producing a constant but often disorganized attack.

At the end, the “Maradona” even had a taste of the equaliser with Stanislav Lobotka, but the Azzurri's joy was crushed by the intervention of the VAR, which caught Lorenzo Lucca offside at the start of the move.
At the final whistle, Como celebrated, with Fàbregas enjoying a historic and prestigious victory, while Napoli were left licking their wounds and reflecting.

For Allegri, the work is still wide open: greater defensive focus, competitive determination, and tactical coordination are needed, which the league break will necessarily accelerate. The season has just begun, but the first real high-level test has left more than a few alarm bells ringing.

Ludovica Carrano